Cultural Differences in Social Media Use and Adolescent Mental Health
Author Information
Author(s): Gordesli Betul Keles, Leamy Mary, Murrells Trevor, Grealish Annmarie
Primary Institution: King’s College London
Hypothesis
How do cultural differences moderate the relationship between social media use and mental health outcomes in adolescents?
Conclusion
Spending more than four hours on social media is significantly associated with increased anxiety and depression levels in adolescents.
Supporting Evidence
- Adolescents spending more than four hours on social media showed higher levels of anxiety and depression.
- Vertical and horizontal individualism moderated the relationship between social media use and depression.
- Turkish adolescents with low horizontal individualism and minimal social media use had lower depression levels.
Takeaway
If kids spend a lot of time on social media, especially more than four hours a day, it can make them feel more anxious and sad.
Methodology
Cross-sectional study using self-report surveys from secondary school students in Türkiye, Ireland, and England.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to convenience sampling in England and Ireland and reliance on self-reported measures.
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional, limiting causal inferences, and relies on self-reported data which may be biased.
Participant Demographics
299 secondary school students aged 14-16 years; 61% girls; from Türkiye, Ireland, and England.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001 for depression associated with >4 hours of social media use.
Confidence Interval
(2.30 to 7.96) for depression associated with >4 hours of social media use on weekdays.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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